1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for retiring interactive television applications and, more particularly, to systems and methods for selectively terminating and suspending such interactive applications in a manner associated with an external event and a program state of the interactive application.
2. Background of the Invention
Traditionally, the broadcast of television programs has been a one way transmission. A broadcaster would transmit a program which would be received and passively utilized by a viewer. More recently, interactive television has become both possible and popular. Utilizing the ample bandwidth of cable, interactive television applications may be transmitted along with the program material. These interactive applications, which are received and executed by a broadcast receiver, such as a set top decoder, are capable of requesting or otherwise gleaning data from the viewer, and delivering that data back to the broadcaster. Interactive applications have a multiplicity of potential uses such as allowing a viewer to order a product that is associated with a specific program, conducting a poll, or gathering statistics on the program selection and watching habits of television viewers. Specific interactive applications that are associated with specific television programs greatly enhance the viewing experience, and enable new and useful marketing opportunities as well.
A serious problem with interactive television as it exists today is orphaned applications. Interactive applications are transmitted by the broadcaster, but they are executed by the broadcast receiver. Individual interactive applications are associated with specific television programs. It is possible for the connection between the broadcaster and the broadcast receiver to be terminated, broken, lost, or otherwise unexpectedly interrupted, for example by a channel change at a video cassette recorder being used as a receiver upstream from the broadcast receiver controlling the interactive applications. When this happens, the interactive application will continue to execute, even though the associated program is no longer present. The same is true when the broadcast program has terminated, has been temporarily suspended, has been disabled, or has otherwise unexpectedly become unavailable. The result is that the interactive application is no longer appropriate for the broadcast program.
For example, suppose a viewer is watching a documentary program about travel in Southeast Asia, and an associated interactive application which allows the viewer to order a relevant travel guide is executing. If the broadcast program concerning travel ends unexpectedly, and a new broadcast program concerning sports begins, it is no longer appropriate for the interactive application which allows the viewer to order the Southeast Asia travel guide to be executing. If the interactive application continues to execute with its associated broadcast program no longer present, there would be a mismatch between the interactive application and the broadcast program, typically leading to confusion or frustration on the part of the user. For example, if the viewer is watching the sports program, but the interactive application which allows the viewer to order the now unrelated travel guide is executing, the viewer will either be frustrated by the presence of the superfluous interactive application, or worse yet, order the travel guide mistakenly thinking that it is associated with the sports broadcast program.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system and method for retiring interactive television applications when they are no longer appropriate for the current television program material. Specifically, it is desirable to provide a system and method for selectively terminating and suspending such interactive applications when the connection between the broadcaster and the receiver has been terminated, broken, lost, or otherwise interrupted, or when the associated television program has terminated, has been temporarily suspended, has been disabled, or has otherwise unexpectedly become unavailable.
It is further desirable for such a system to associate a retirement behavior of an interactive application not only with an external event, such as the end of an associated broadcast program, but additionally with the program state of the interactive application. For example, if a viewer is in the process of ordering a product by filling in information on a form provided by the interactive application (the interactive application is in a specific program state), it is desirable that the retirement of the interactive application be postponed until the ordering process is complete, despite the fact that the associated broadcast program has ended (an external event).